VIDEO: A pair of holiday fires in Sparta strained families and emergency responders. The first, near the intersection of Montgomery and Black River streets, was reported in the early morning of Christmas Eve. A fire broke out in an apartment complex but was mostly contained within a single apartment. None of the building's tenants have been able to return since the fire. The Sparta Fire Department responded to another fire that night along Franklin Street. An older man who lived in the home alone reported hearing popping noises from his kitchen before finding the fire.